Breeding out bad genes to protect biodiversity

Although their presence in the landscape has been relatively short, the impact feral cats have made on Australia’s native wildlife has been significant, with estimates of nearly two thousand native animals – birds, reptiles, mammals, and frogs – falling prey to feral cats every minute. These cats are also considered to have been largely responsible […]

Continue Reading

The Resurrection of Mabrokan: cloning camels in the desert

In the desert sands of a wealthy Arabian kingdom, a famously beautiful long-dead camel called Mabrokan has been brought back to life. Eleven healthy camel calves recently celebrated their first birthday in the red dunes of the United Arab Emirates. They look like normal camel babies, but these identical brothers are extraordinary. They are clones, […]

Continue Reading

Abstracts: Associations between behaviour and health outcomes in conventional and slow-growing breeds of broiler chicken

Broiler chickens are prone to a range of complex health and welfare issues. To support informed selection of welfare traits whilst minimising impact on production efficiency and to address a major gap in understanding, we systematically explored associations between health and behavioural indicators of broiler welfare.

Continue Reading

Puppies spring from 20-year-old semen

Artificial insemination is becoming common- place for Australian breeders, according to detector dog trainer and registered breeder of working German shepherds and dobermans, Kris Kotsopoulos. The modern breeding technique of freezing semen is used because it enables breeders to access genes that are normally unavailable, due to the original dog passing away young, or it […]

Continue Reading